Common techniques for positioning and supporting a fence rail during assembly of a fence are well known. In typical practice, a plurality of fence posts are positioned, each with a lower portion thereof in the ground. Fence rails are then mounted between and to the fence posts by fasteners, the fasteners frequently being screws, bolts, nails or other like mechanical fasteners which are driven, screwed or otherwise inserted through the fence rail.
The formation of a fence and particularly the connecting, positioning and supporting of the fence rails against the fence posts can frequently be a labor-intensive and time-consuming process requiring use of multiple tools. Moreover, a fence rail, once mounted to a fence post using typical means, may be difficult to remove and re-position at a different angle or elevation. Indeed, repeated installation and removal of the same fence post may, in common practice, puncture, damage or deface the fence rail and even the connected fence posts. Yet further, removal and repositioning of a fence rail, even where possible, is often a labor-intensive and time-consuming process requiring use of multiple tools.
There accordingly exists a need for an invention which facilitates rapid, efficient, sturdy, yet easily-modifiable connection and positioning of fence rails along a fence by even a relatively unskilled user at a user-selected, user-modifiable elevation and at a user-selected, user-modifiable angle. A need additionally exists for an invention which accomplishes the foregoing purposes without need of tools or additional fasteners and without damage to the fence post or attached fence rails. The assembly and method of the present invention address those needs.
The present invention has particular utility when used in formation of wind fences and snow fences. The porosity of such fences, i.e., that percentage of the total area beneath a top of a top fence rail and above a top surface of the ground, earth or accumulated snow beneath the fence rail where prevailing wind, or snow driven by prevailing wind encounters no fence rail is an important feature. Fences with too little porosity may be damaged or overturned, while fences with too much porosity provide an ineffective barrier and, consequently, ineffective wind or snow control. Various preferred embodiments of the invention are accordingly designed to position, support and space fence rails having a generally uniform and preselected width in a configuration promoting optimum fence porosity.